THE police uncovered a brothel behind the taxi rank on Pretoria Road on Thursday afternoon while searching for drugs.
It is believed the illegal business has 93 sex workers but only 25 were found on the property.
An Algerian man is still at large after his illegal prostitution business was raided by the Tembisa Cluster police and Ekurhuleni Metro Police. The man and his brothers allegedly own the properties where the brothel was operating from.
The brothel operated under the name Taxi Rank Accommodation, trading as Dipereng Restaurant and Tavern, is located behind the taxi rank and Kempstar Mall at the railway station.
According to Sebenza police spokesman, Const Sharon Tsotsotso, the police operation started on West Street in the CBD where three suspects were arrested for possession of drugs. The purpose of the operation was to fight crime affecting the cluster.
More photographs of the premises
“We received a tip-off drugs were being sold at the premises. On arrival we arrested two suspects for possession of dagga. We then started searching the place and found the women upstairs,” explained Tsotsotso.
The sex workers included women of all ages from China, Lesotho and Zimbabwe. No charges will be laid against the women.
The accommodation comprises 25 bedrooms with three beds in each room.
EXPRESS found underwear, used condom wrappers and condoms lying on the floors of some of the rooms. Some beds did not have any bedding. The bathrooms and ablution facilities did not appear clean and hygienic. One shower was blocked and was filled with bloodied water.
There was also bulk food, including rice and canned goods in some of the rooms, which the women could not account for. Pills thought to be drugs were found in one of the rooms.
When questioned, the women said the pills were “boosters” used to assist when one’s CD4 count was down.
In another room with no beds, presumably used as an office, there was a box filled with condoms and on the table envelopes containing numerous R150 receipts. It is believed clients paid R150 to sleep with the women.
A client found engaging in sexual intercourse with one of the women was arrested.
Tsotsotso said the owner of the business, once found, would be arrested for operating an illegal brothel.
A notice at the entrance of the brothel reads (edited): “All ladies working at Dipereng: Any ladies who have sexual intercourse (have sex) with members of Dipereng (security and workers) in the hotel will be punished severely and will no longer be part of our establishment. If there are cases of force (abuse) report directly to reception or management. Every lady will take responsibility.”
